Frequenters of the Pit of Smug Self-satisfaction, aka Old Trafford, often harp on about stealing Eric Cantona. Well, Leeds stole Gordon Strachan and Johnny Giles for half the price. Strachan recalls a halcyon age when Manchester United (note to all in the media, do not call them "United", you wouldn't have in 1991 so why now?) were useless.
Strachan had fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson by 1988. "He's a difficult man to like," he said of Taggart's less vivacious sidekick. Strachan got the man-of-the-match award on his Leeds debut at Portsmouth and realised there was a problem when he was given 24 cans of beer as his prize. Under his stewardship, Leeds became more professional to telling effect. They won the old second division title in 1990 and won the last first division title, in 1992, before the Premier League era. Strachan was 34 and the heartbeat of the side.
"You can only do so much at a club and then it's like David Bowie, you have to reinvent yourself," he said of his move to Leeds. Strachan reinvented himself as Billy Bremner and we loved him for it. He even made Vinnie Jones look good.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gordon David Strachan | ||
| Date of birth | 9 February 1957 (1957-02-09) | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Middlesbrough (manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1971-1977 | Dundee | 69 | (13) |
| 1977-1984 | Aberdeen | 183 | (55) |
| 1984-1989 | Manchester United | 160 | (33) |
| 1989-1995 | Leeds United | 197 | (37) |
| 1995-1997 | Coventry City | 26 | (0) |
| Total | 635 | (138) | |
| National team | |||
| 1980-1992 | Scotland | 50 | (5) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1996-2001 | Coventry City | ||
| 2001-2004 | Southampton | ||
| 2005-2009 | Celtic | ||
| 2009- | Middlesbrough | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||